Bridge and Infrastructure Restoration: Bridge Restoration, Bridge Inspection, Public Works Infrastructure Inspection, Bridge Repair, Public Works Infrastructure Replacement, Bridge Reconstruction, Tidal Energy Generation, Wave Energy Generation

The 2007 bridge collapse in Minnesota, along with the recent devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, and China and the resulting Chile tsunami, as well as the very recent explosion of the Gulf of Mexico oil rig and resulting massive oil spill, underscore the need for inspection, evaluation, and preventative mitigation and restoration efforts for these earthquake-ravaged countries, and for the many bridges, tunnels, railroads, highways, airport runways, and other infrastructure in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world that may be in danger of collapse - partial or total - in the event of an earthquake, tsunami, storm, or other natural or human-generated stress, including terrorist activities, sabotage, accidents, or prolonged wear and tear from trains, trucks, aircraft, and other heavy vehicles.

Many of the bridges listed below are suspension bridges, including numerous older suspension bridges whose cable strength has decreased over the years by 5% to 15% because of corrosion of steel and other components, plus general metal fatigue. These factors are frequently compounded today by greater traffic loads (more vehicles and heavier vehicles on the bridge at one time) than those for which the bridges were originally designed. Some of these bridges are in danger of sudden catastrophic collapse. Many others may need to be totally closed in order to prevent an imminent collapse.

President Obama has urged government funding of at least $75 billion for the repair, reconstruction, and replacement of aging and deteriorating bridges, highways, roads, and other infrastructure in the United States.

Charles B. Pyke, Ph.D., President, CEO, and Principal Scientist of Environmental Science & Energy, Inc., offers Construction Defects Analysis, Structural Integrity and Structural Safety Inspections, and Seismic and Landslide Hazards Determination, plus Repair, Refurbishment, Reinforcement, Strengthening, Renovation, Restoration, Enlargement (such as increased traffic lanes, as needed), and Reconstruction - plus Demolition and Replacement of Structures and Facilities Listed below, along with the Design of New Structures and Facilities. [Many structures, facilities, and services may apply to earthquake-damaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti and to locations damaged by the earthquake and/or tsunami in Chile.] These include, but are not limited to:

Structures and facilities:

Bridges, road and highway - spanning water, such as rivers, lakes, channels, and bays.
Bridges, road and highway - spanning roads and land features, such as canyons.
Bridges, railroad - spanning water, such as rivers, lakes, channels, and bays.
Bridges, railroad - spanning highways, roads, and land features, such as canyons.
Bridges, aircraft - runways and taxiways that are bridged across roads and railroads - many of which carry larger, heavier aircraft today than those for which the bridges were originally designed.
Bridges, pedestrian.
Approaches to bridges - road and railroad.
Tunnels - road, railroad, and pedestrian.
Roadways and railways under airport runways and taxiways.
Highways, freeways, city streets, and other roads, including elevated highways.
Railroad and bus stations.
Railroad tracks, including elevated tracks.
Railroad tracks, including elevated tracks, worn down by weather, land subsidence and liquefaction, earthquakes, and years of train travel .

Railroad tracks that were not originally designed for today's heavy trains.

New high-speed railroad tracks and high-speed railroad trains.
Elevated railways.
Elevated roadways.
Elevated walkways.
Airport runways and taxiways, especially those subject to wear and tear by today's jumbo aircraft.
Airport towers and terminals.
Public works infrastructure, including underground water-supply pipes and conduits.
Public works infrastructure, including underground sewer pipes and conduits.
Public works infrastructure, including above-ground water-supply pipes and conduits.
Public works infrastructure, including above-ground sewer pipes and conduits.
Other infrastructure.
High-rise office buildings.
Low-rise office buildings.
Factories and other manufacturing facilities.
Truck terminals.
Hotels, motels, condominiums, and apartments.
Ships, including cruise ships and cargo ships.
Numerous other structures and facilities.

The defects and hazards include, but are not limited to:

Faulty, shoddy, or generally poor original construction.

Construction that met building and seismic codes at the time of the original construction, but which fail to meet today's codes, and which could be a hazard to life and property in the future.

Construction that met building and seismic codes at the time of the original construction, but which have deteriorated over the years or were damaged or weakened by fire, weather, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, ground subsidence, landslides, avalanches, or blasts (including sonic booms and nearby demolitions).

Corrosion, over the years, of suspension cables and other structural bridge components - seriously compromising the structural integrity of the bridge.

Foundation failures of bridges and other structures, resulting from corrosion, earthquakes, subsidence, liquefaction, ground shifts, tsunamis, and/or gradual deterioration of materials from water currents and weather.

Landslides: threats; slides that have occurred since construction of a structure and may have weakened the structure.

Damage caused by terrorist attacks, or hidden damage caused by sabotage or by attempted sabotage that appeared at first to have failed.

Corrosion, over the years, of underground and above-ground natural gas, water supply, and sewer pipes and conduits.

Asbestos that may be present in some structures.

Earthquake faults and potential for major shaking or permanent ground deformation.

Proximity of a structure to earthquake faults and soil vulnerable to magnified shaking.

Earthquake faults that may be creeping gradually, slowly distorting or offsetting bridge or railroad track alignment.

Potential for subsidence of the soil beneath a structure, including differential subsidence within a structure's footprint.

Services Offered:

Structural integrity inspection of the structure or facility.

Construction defects analysis.

Investigation of catastrophic failure or major damage resulting from earthquakes, storms, or human-generated activities (terrorist attacks, sabotage, major accidents, etc.).

Structural analysis for damage, deterioration, or corrosion over the years. Included are inspection and structural analysis of suspension cables of older bridges that are subject to metal fatigue and steel corrosion in critical suspension cables.

Seismic hazards and seismic safety analysis

Analysis of earthquake creep potential, and the resulting distortion or offset of bridges, railroad tracks, and roadways.

Repair of defects.

Mitigation, overhaul, or renovation - partial or total.

Asbestos removal, where applicable.

Reinforcement and strengthening of the structure or facility.

Shoring up of the sides and ceilings of tunnels.

Restoration or reconstruction of the structure or facility.

Protection against maximum credible earthquake.

Protection against maximum credible wind event.

Demolition or removal of entire structure or facility.

Replacement of entire bridge or other structure or facility.

Design and construction of new bridges, tunnels, railroads, highways, or public works infrastructure - U.S. and overseas.

Design and construction of new high-speed railroad tracks and railroad trains.

Research into improvement in the construction of various bridges, tunnels, railroads, highways, and public works infrastructure.

For more information about these services and other programs:

Telephone: Environmental Science & Energy, Inc.: (520) 625-8346 or (877) 373-4629,

cellular (520) 310-9931 or (775) 742-5376. Alternate (520) 625-8316.

FAX: Call (520) 625-8346 to obtain fax number.

e-mail: Call (520) 625-8316 to obtain e-mail address.

Mailing address for Dr. Charles B. Pyke, President & CEO:

P. O. Box 1747, Green Valley, AZ 85622-1747

Contract, billing, and payment address:

P. O. Box 292760, Phelan, CA 92329-2760.